The justice for Shaun Woodburn campaign hit the Crown Office yesterday, where it was revealed Lord Advocate James Woolfe can order prosecutors to appeal the sentence of the tragic dad’s killer.

After the meeting, Shaun’s dad Kevin said he is “tentatively hopeful” the campaign to seek justice for his 30-year-old son will be successful.

Prosecutors are currently carrying out a review of the four-year-sentence handed down to his teenage killer and deciding whether to appeal it for being “unduly lenient”.

Dad-of-one Shaun, 30, suffered massive brain injuries after the teenager – who can’t be named – punched him and kicked his head “like a football” outside Gladstone’s bar in Leith, Edinburgh, last Hogmanay.

Kevin and Shaun’s mum Denise Syme attended the meeting to air their views on the trial and sentence.

Businessman Kevin said: “Advocate Depute Tim Niven-Smith was candid with us as he’s been throughout the whole process.

“They asked us to give our views on the sentence and we told him what we thought. He listened to us and while he couldn’t discuss the sentence from the Crown’s point of view, it at least afforded us an opportunity to put across what we wanted to say.

“I wanted him to know that a four-year sentence wasn’t acceptable.

“What does it say about us as people if we don’t speak out? The fact that almost 70,000 people have signed the petition suggests that most people do not accept that justice has been done in this case.”

Shaun's family started a petition to appeal against his killer's four year sentence (Image: Daily Record)

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Kevin, who was also Shaun’s business partner, will continue fighting even if his own campaign for his son is unsuccessful.

He said: “This is also about other innocent people whose lives have been ruined – not only by the crimes committed, but by soft justice.

“A one punch killing is one punch too many. I also wanted to make the point that at 16 in Scotland you can get married, you can join the Army and you can vote so you’re classed as an adult and mature enough to make those decisions.

“But in the eyes of the law, at 16 when you kill someone you’re treated like a child.

“Age was a factor in his sentence but his age wasn’t a factor when he took the decision to punch and kick my son and kill him.

“He should have been tried like an adult and we feel he’s been protected by the law much more than the victims in this case have been.”

Dad Kevin wants longer sentence for Shaun's killer (Image: UGC)

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Kevin said he appreciated the Crown Office agreeing to meet him. He added: “There is a process they have to go through to decide whether to appeal but ultimately the decision can lie with the Lord Advocate.

“I firmly believe in the interests of Scottish justice, an appeal must be made to challenge this sentence.

“I won’t stop fighting for Shaun. All we can do for him is ensure his story is heard and justice is served.”

Shaun’s killer was charged with murder but this was reduced to culpable homicide during the trial last month.

Co-accused Mohammed ­Zakariyah, 19, was ordered to do 240 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to two assaults and a breach of the peace.

A third teenager was cleared of all charges midway through the trial.

The Crown Office have until December 5 to lodge an appeal against the killer’s sentence.